Slidell’s Krewe of Selene host annual parade
Despite the overnight freeze warning on Friday, Feb. 21, Slidell residents still showed up and out for the 22nd Krewe of Selene parade. The parade started at 6:30 in Fritchie Park and ended at a local Rouses on Gause Boulevard.
The Krewe is self-described as a sisterhood of “local professional women” who use their spare time to give back not just during the Mardi Gras season but year-round. According to their official website, the sisterhood is widely supported by the Slidell community due to their efforts in youth empowerment.
Selene is the Greek goddess of the moon and her duty is to drive the moon across the skies every night and bathe the mortals in her rays of light. Krewe of Selene was founded in 1998 by a group of women who aspire to be as powerful as Selene and has grown to have a total of 300 female members led by their President, Angela Fayard.
According to the official Mardi Gras New Orleans website, Krewe strives to be more than just a parade but a helping hand within their community. They participate in food drives, school supply drives and St. Tammany’s Project Christmas which works to make Christmas special for every child.
Krewe of Selene had a total of 17 Floats following the 2020 theme of a NOLA style “Staycation” to celebrate the many sights to be seen in New Orleans. Floats were decked out in themes ranging from City Park and Audubon Zoo to Cafe Du Monde and the French Market.
During the parade, they are known for throwing lighted fleur-de-lis beads, stuffed animals and foam swords. During the off-season, Krewe members created and decorated handmade purses, the signature throw. Their 6th Float, Drinks at Pat O’Brien’s, was said to have a total of 1012 purses.
After the purses have been given away during the parade, the recipients are encouraged to share their catches with the Krewe of Selene via Facebook on the Selene Purse Tracker.
Besides the main attraction, the floats, the parade contained performances from a wide variety of dance clubs, bands and Northshore high school bands. One of the most memorable dance crews according to Facebook was Infinity Dance Productions led by a male member who seemed to be marching everyone into the upcoming Fat Tuesday.
Between the floats and the marching crews, all the parade-watchers seemed to be having a great time.
A first-time attendee, Ashley Lafargue, described the parade as “…a new experience. Compared to New Orleans parades like Zulu it’s a smaller and more community affair like a block party with beads and bands.”
Another attendee, Lauren Jones, attested to the parade’s convenience saying, “… it was within walking distance from my house so I didn’t have to deal with finding a place to park, like with most parades.”
The Krewe of Selene continuously achieves its goal of “making a lasting impression on parade-watchers” as well as the community as a whole.
